Punjab to charge cow cess on cars, 2-wheelers

CHANDIGARH: Shoring up the saffron party's cattle protection programme, Punjab local bodies minister and Amritsar BJP MLA Anil Joshi on Wednesday ratified a landmark decision by municipal councils and corporations to introduce a cow cess on nine items in the state, including purchase of cars and two-wheelers.

Approved in 2014, the cess was yet to be implemented in all 154 municipal councils and 10 corporations in the state.

On Wednesday, the government asked 33 councils and corporations, barring Amrtisar, to issue a public notification regarding the imposition of cess by May 25. Two corporations - Bathinda and Mohali - have been collecting the cess since 2014. The rest of the municipal bodies have been told to complete the approval process by June 30.

The move comes barely a month after BJP had proposed free electricity for gaushalas in Punjab. Faced with a debt of Rs 1.26 lakh crore, the government already provides a subsidy of Rs 5,600 crore to supply free electricity to farmers.